That's because after just a year of development, GroupMe is still just a feature - not a stand alone product.

It can be easily replicated by any company with time and resources.

And guess what?

The three scariest companies in tech, Apple, Facebook, and Google, all launched GroupMe clones this summer. So GroupMe's Martocci, Hecht and team: we commend you. You pushed really hard for a year, realized the limitations of what you built, and found a strategic buyer. Now you can serve your time work a few years at Skype and daydream about the startup you'll create next.